The future is not free: the story of all human progress is one of a struggle against all odds. We learned again that this America, which Abraham Lincoln called the last, best hope of man on Earth, was built on heroism and noble sacrifice. It was built by men and women like our seven star voyagers, who answered a call beyond duty, who gave more than was expected or required and who gave it little thought of worldly reward. ~Ronald Reagan January 31, 1986
Dick Scobee - Commander
US Air Force Vietnam Veteran. NASA Group 8 1978. Piloted Challenger on STS-41-C.
Michael Smith - Pilot
US Navy Vietnam Veteran. NASA Group 9 - 1980
Judith Resnik - Mission Specialist
University of Maryland PHD. Accepted to Julliard (piano). NASA Group 8 - 1978. Mission Specialist on STS-41-D Discovery. First Jewish Astronaut in space.
Ronald McNair - Mission Specialist
MIT PHD. NASA Group 8 - 1978. Karate Black Belt. First to play a musical instrument in space on board STS-41-B Challenger. Was set to record a saxophone solo for Composer Jean Michel Jarre's album Rendez-Vous and take part in a live-feed concert. Instead, Jarre composed Last Rendez Vous (Ron's Piece) and used the sound of Ron's heartbeat.
Ellison Onizuka - Mission Specialist
University of Colorado BS/MS. USAF. NASA Group 8 - 1978. STS-51-C Discovery. First Asian American in space.
Gregory Jarvis - Payload Specialist
MS Northeastern. USAF. Hughes Aircraft.
Christa McAuliff - Payload Specialist
MA Bowie State University. Teacher in Space.
STS - 51-L Space Shuttle Challenger.
Many will never forget that morning. We were young Shuttle enthusiasts and the news that the teacher in space was getting made a "usual" Shuttle flight more exciting and made even more interested in the space program. The astronauts were also going to study Haley's Comet and Christa was going to perform science experiments from space into classrooms. Instead, 73 seconds into the launch, we witnessed sights and heard sounds we will never forget. The image of Christa's parents staring at the sky, students crying, and those before and after words that will forever be seared into that memory: Challenger, go with throttle up and Obviously, a major malfunction. But what could have been the end of NASA and the fear of space flight actually propelled so many to keep the dream alive of what Challenger was mean to fulfill.
What we know now, 40 years later, was that NASA, Morton Thiokol, and egos allowed the worst disaster NASA had seen since the Apollo 1 fire on the launchpad nineteen years prior to happen.
What we also know, with the prior Apollo 1 and subsequent Space Shuttle Columbia disaster, is that we cannot stop reaching for the stars. While the program has always come up against budget, mission, and sustainability, there are still and will always be dreamers. As long as NASA's Flight Director Gene Kranz's directive of being Tough and Competent is followed, space travel and exploration should be airtight safe, save for the obvious dangers of lighting thousands of tons of fuel and hurling humans through the atmosphere and into the vacuum of space. From the damning Roger's Commission Report to the inspiring Ride Report, there are those who know the constantly changing priorities and challenges.
NASA would return to space on September 29, 1988, with STS 26 Space Shuttle Discovery. It was aptly declared as the "Return to Flight" mission. And in less than two weeks, no earlier than February 6, 2026, NASA will launch Artemis II, a ten-day mission taking astronauts around the moon to prepare for future lunar landings.
We haven't forgotten the dream.
Presidential Address to the Nation on the Explosion of the Space Shuttle Challenger, January 28, 1986
Ladies and gentlemen, I'd planned to speak to you tonight to report on the state of the Union, but the events of earlier today have led me to change those plans. Today is a day for mourning and remembering. Nancy and I are pained to the core by the tragedy of the shuttle Challenger. We know we share this pain with all of the people of our country. This is truly a national loss.
Nineteen years ago, almost to the day, we lost three astronauts in a terrible accident on the ground. But we've never lost an astronaut in flight; we've never had a tragedy like this. And perhaps we've forgotten the courage it took for the crew of the shuttle. But they, the Challenger Seven, were aware of the dangers, but overcame them and did their jobs brilliantly. We mourn seven heroes: Michael Smith, Dick Scobee, Judith Resnik, Ronald McNair, Ellison Onizuka, Gregory Jarvis, and Christa McAuliffe. We mourn their loss as a nation together.
For the families of the seven, we cannot bear, as you do, the full impact of this tragedy. But we feel the loss, and we're thinking about you so very much. Your loved ones were daring and brave, and they had that special grace, that special spirit that says, "Give me a challenge, and I'll meet it with joy.'' They had a hunger to explore the universe and discover its truths. They wished to serve, and they did. They served all of us. We've grown used to wonders in this century. It's hard to dazzle us. But for 25 years the United States space program has been doing just that. We've grown used to the idea of space, and perhaps we forget that we've only just begun. We're still pioneers. They, the members of the Challenger crew, were pioneers.
And I want to say something to the schoolchildren of America who were watching the live coverage of the shuttle's takeoff. I know it is hard to understand, but sometimes painful things like this happen. It's all part of the process of exploration and discovery. It's all part of taking a chance and expanding man's horizons. The future doesn't belong to the fainthearted; it belongs to the brave. The Challenger crew was pulling us into the future, and we'll continue to follow them.
I've always had great faith in and respect for our space program, and what happened today does nothing to diminish it. We don't hide our space program. We don't keep secrets and cover things up. We do it all up front and in public. That's the way freedom is, and we wouldn't change it for a minute. We'll continue our quest in space. There will be more shuttle flights and more shuttle crews and, yes, more volunteers, more civilians, more teachers in space. Nothing ends here; our hopes and our journeys continue. I want to add that I wish I could talk to every man and woman who works for NASA or who worked on this mission and tell them: "Your dedication and professionalism have moved and impressed us for decades. And we know of your anguish. We share it.''
There's a coincidence today. On this day 390 years ago, the great explorer Sir Francis Drake died aboard ship off the coast of Panama. In his lifetime the great frontiers were the oceans, and an historian later said, "He lived by the sea, died on it, and was buried in it.'' Well, today we can say of the Challenger crew: Their dedication was, like Drake's, complete.
The crew of the space shuttle Challenger honored us by the manner in which they lived their lives. We will never forget them, nor the last time we saw them, this morning, as they prepared for their journey and waved goodbye and "slipped the surly bonds of earth'' to "touch the face of God.''
Note: The President spoke at 5 p.m. from the Oval Office at the White House. The address was broadcast live on nationwide radio and television.
